Despite a new coat of paint, the Eiffel Tower should be overhauled, leaked documents show. Can the French here learn something from us, les petits Belges†

In 2008, for the 50th anniversary of the Atomium, Belgium completed a complete renovation of our national pride, resulting in nine completed spheres. The monument had lost its glory for a while. A patch up continued, but the file remained. Finding money was the main problem. “Typical Belgian”, says Guy Vanhengel, ex-minister for Open Vld. “Everyone is empowered, but no one feels responsible.”

Like the Atomium, the Eiffel Tower was basically a temporary construction for the World’s Fair. When the Paris Tower was completed in 1889, it was expected to last twenty years. It is therefore not surprising that defects are used now, more than 130 years later. Looking forward to the reports leaked to the French magazine Marianne, however, it turned out that no fewer than 884 defects were identified, of which 68 pose a risk to the durability of the structure. According to experts, there is only one option: completely strip the tower and repaint it. Now barely 5 percent of the tower will be tackled. The final 245,000 square meters of iron will have to wait another seven years, until the next ‘renovation’.

For Sete, the company that oversees the tower, closing the tower for renovation is not an option. About 6 million people visit the 324-meter high iron pillar every year. it ranks fourth most visited cultural sites in France, following Disneyland, the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles.

On the website of the Eiffel Tower, Bertrand Lemoine, architect, engineer and historian, gives a nicer picture of the state of the tower. According to him, with a new coat of paint, the Eiffel Tower can last forever.

A lick of paint may suffice for the time being, Vanhengel suspects. But financing is also an issue in Paris. The implementation already closed due to corona in 2020 to a loss of income of 52 million euros. When slamming back for renovation, they again miss out on tons of money.

As the Minister of Finance, there is an organization that has set up construction, renovation and establishment projects. † Towards the beginning of the monument’s 50th anniversary in 2008, the renovations were completed. Vanhengel is confident that the French will find the necessary funds. “If they can restore Notre Dame, it should work well for the Eiffel Tower too. For France would not be France without its tower.”